Did you all know that August was national sandwich month? I guess these days we have a national month and day for everything! In honor of last month being national sandwich month Chef Anthony Stewart, Executive Chef at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, created a healthier version of your favorite childhood sweet treat! The recipe makes 4 servings.
Banana Ricotta Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
Ice Cream Ingredients
1 pound very ripe bananas (peeled, vacuum sealed, and frozen)
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Shell/Cookie flavor Ingredients:
¼ cup egg whites
¼ cup no-calorie sweetener (sucralose or stevia)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups whole-wheat flour (or quinoa)
¼ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
2 cups nonfat milk, divided use
To Make Cookie Slices…
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, whip egg whites and no-calorie sweetener until fluffy. Stir in vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together baking powder, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in whipped egg white mixture and 1 cup of nonfat milk. Gently combine until smooth by cutting through the center of the mixture with a spatula and folding the mixture over on top of itself (cutting and folding). Add more milk, if needed, to achieve smooth texture. Do not over-stir. The fewer strokes made, the better the results. Pour batter into cake loaf tin. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Remove from tin, wrap tightly in food-grade plastic wrap, and freeze.
To Make Banana Ricotta Ice Cream…
Remove bananas from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes (until they begin to defrost around the edges). Place ricotta cheese in a food processor and pulse. Chop the bananas and add to the food processor along with all remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth and creamy. Scoop mixture into a plastic bowl and cover with food-grade plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the top of the mixture. Place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
To Assemble Ice Cream Sandwiches…
Remove cake from freezer and slice into 8 “sandwich” slices. Remove ice cream from freezer and layer between sandwich slices, making 4 ice cream sandwiches in total. Serve immediately.
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This looks like something my husband would love. I’m definitely going to try this.
This looks really food but a lot of work ! I like the idea of bananas and ricotta though and would probably love it. I bet these would freeze well too so you can make a double batch of them and have them for awhile.
Yum! This looks so delicious. Ricotta ice cream sounds wonderful. I cannot wait to give this a try. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love bananas, but I’m usually not a fan of banana-flavored foods. The exception is banana popsicles, so this ice cream might come pretty close to that! I’d definitely like to give it a try.
This is very timely as I have some leftover ricotta in the fridge and I was trying to think of how to best use it. This seems like a great way to use it that I would never have thought of.
This sounds wonderful! It is sometimes amazing that healthy things can taste so good!
Now you’re talking! I love ricotta – ever have the REAL Italian cheesecake, made with ricotta? Mama Mia!
We do have national days for everything. Fun to celebrate. My daughter gets into them. Today is TV Dinner Day. I like your variation of celebrating sandwich month…ice cream sandwich.
This recipe looks wonderful! My family would enjoy this!
Looks good. Like the banana/ricotta mixture. I don’t think the picture is of the recipe since it calls for slicing the cake…
Looks so good. Would make a great after school snack for kids
This is a healthy version of a delicious ice cream sandwich and I am eager to try it.